Assistance for Caritas Japan

During these difficult days for Japan, the resilience and compassion of its people serve as an inspiration to us all. We pray especially for those most directly affected – those who have lost loved ones and those who continue to search for the missing. While it is easy to feel helpless in the face of a catastrophe of this magnitude, we are grateful for those working to provide assistance, including medical, military, and aid personnel from the US and around the world.

Many of us are wondering how best to assist. The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities has been in touch with the Jesuit Provincial of Japan, Fr. Kajiyama Yoshio, S.J., who indicates that if donors wish to immediately support the emergency response, one option is to donate to Catholic Relief Services (www.crs.org/japan) who will direct the funds to Caritas Japan, the social service arm of the Church that responds with food and other assistance. CRS will assist Caritas Japan with financial resources as well as expertise if requested.

Let us continue to keep the people of Japan in our thoughts and prayers as they struggle through this difficult time.